Jan 21, 1943
Dear Folks:
Well I was kept busy today from 5:15 until 4:00. I had part of my physical exam this morning. I was also interviewed by an officer. I think I will end up as a navigator. I think that would be alright. A navigator makes out the course of the plane bombers. There is a lot of mathematics in navigation. He said I wasn’t wild enough to make a good fighter pilot.
Navigators get done training a little sooner than pilots. I had just about decided that I would rather be a navigator anyway. I think myself that I am better fitted to be a navigator. I didn’t tell him so though. Them guys are pretty smart though and they find out a lot about a person’s personal life and his habits. They take all this into consideration.
We drilled and exercised this afternoon.
Did I tell you that I now have my complete uniforms etc. I will send you a picture if I ever get to town so I can get one taken. Well write soon. I just seen by the paper it is sort of cold like there.*
Yours truly,
Alva
*In Grand Rapids on January 20, 1943, they had a low of -5 degrees with a high of 10.
Ancestors Across the Ages 